


Moonlight Serenade

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [4]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Fluff, Marriage, Romance, Sexual Content, episodic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:01:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28974801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETEFollowing the events in 1968, the Doctor is determined to make it up to Rose and wants to go dancing. But the most malevolent creatures in the universe appear and threaten to undo the timeline they've worked so hard to get, and they have fight to save it.He was waiting in the console room in his blue suit with a maroon shirt and red chucks, playing with wires. He wasn’t nervous, but he just really wanted this to go well and not result in another bloody rescue mission or alien sighting, and he was rocking on his feet a bit.He stopped when he heard her footsteps and glanced up.“I wasn’t sure what kind of date you had in mind -” she began, and he stared at her with a dazed expression, his brain having shut off entirely. “Too much?”
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You: Part 2 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111892
Comments: 2
Kudos: 121





	Moonlight Serenade

**Author's Note:**

> Story picks up morning after the events in "Time Just Is" if you haven't read that one! Still laying the groundwork, but the main plot will start to trickle in over the next chunk of adventures.

He was mixing pancake batter in a metal bowl, watching each swirl of the flour, eggs, and milk as it combined, creating a perfect velvety consistency. He knew it would bubble up quickly and satisfy any hunger pangs she might have when she awoke, especially since they hadn’t eaten the night before. 

He had done a little too much crying. 

He frowned, and quickly pushed that thought of his head, determined not to wallow today. He had woken up with a throbbing headache, the kind he knew humans get when they sob an inordinate amount of salty, wet, soppy tears, and it was so numbing he had to take a pill to get it to stop. It was a wake up call. If _he_ was feeling that pressure in his head he must have cried...well... 

Idiot. 

He completely overreacted and he knew it. He had listened to that devil on his shoulder, and he had a fully realized panic attack. The bane of his ancient existence. He began to pour the batter onto a griddle slowly, creating symmetrical circles that lined the entire surface, and he set the bowl down with a small clink as he watched them cook. 

He had yelled at her. He had made her pick up the pieces of his shattered hearts for the millionth time and he just…

She deserved better than that after all they had been through. He was determined to _be_ better. 

He was making pancakes. 

He flipped them, a honey brown color now staring up at him and he sniffed, moving to pour hot water into a teapot and got their cups and saucers ready for morning cuppas, thinking. 

Rose had pulled him out of it, as she always did, and he didn’t have words to explain how much he…

It was one of those moments, as he waited for the pancakes to be done, where the word _love_ just didn’t do his feelings justice. There wasn’t a word in any language, and he knew almost all of them, that encapsulated _her._

Impossible was the only one that came to mind. 

An impossible thing he was impossibly in love with. The very best of them all. 

He piled all the pancakes onto a plate and brought them to the counter. He set out some butter and syrup and jam, knowing Rose wouldn’t touch it but he sure as hell would, and took a deep breath. 

He just...wanted to thank her. In whatever way he could. Right now it started with pancakes, and it would end with hope and forever. He would make certain of it. 

That cube would stay untouched until they knew what to do. Together. 

He moved to the bedroom, and when he cracked the door open she was still sleeping soundly, and he smiled a little as he leaned against the doorframe and watched her. Her hair was a complete mess, a combination of rigorous lovemaking coupled with the fact that it was fairly wet from the bath, and it had apparently dried while she slept on her side. She was still naked, with the blanket now bunched at her waist, her skin silky and flushed.

She was absolutely everything. 

He forgot the pancakes and crawled back into bed beside her. She stirred a little when the mattress shifted and her eyes fluttered open, and the smile she gave him when she realized he was there took his breath away, and he couldn’t help but kiss her. 

“Good morning,” he mumbled against her lips. 

“Hello,” she said. He loved her voice like this, still sleepy and raspy, with no regard for consonants or pauses between her words, and he smiled at her. “You smell like maple syrup.” 

“I made breakfast,” he said softly. “Figured you might be hungry.” 

“Mmm from all the hot and sweaty sex?” she asked, and he bit his cheek. He realized she wasn’t going to bring up the events that led up to that rather enjoyable end to their night, despite all his bloody tears, and he just kissed her forehead. 

His perfect, pink, yellow and gold human. 

“Something like that,” he mumbled. She just pressed her lips to his. He smiled against her kiss and she slowly pulled away and reached over to her bedside table, grabbing a clip as if she knew her hair was a little beyond help at the moment and pulled it up. She stretched her arms above her head when she was done and let out a small yawn. 

He watched every muscle in her body lengthen and compress, and he felt desire growing again, that state of _want_ she elicits in him that still boggles his mind. He smiled at her as she slipped the blanket off and was about to move to the closet, when the leather jacket caught her eye. She picked it up and flashed him his favorite smile, and he clenched his jaw when he realized it smelled like _her._

“S’pose we should wash this,” she mumbled. “How do you wash leather? Just scrub it down?” 

“Don’t worry about that,” he said, smirking a little. She gave him a playful look and laid it over their dresser before she slipped on her robe and some socks, and freshened up for a moment. She walked out of the ensuite a few minutes later, reaching for his hand, and he followed her to the galley. 

She smiled at him as they began to eat their food and drink their cuppas, and she noticed he looked...better. “Thank you.” 

They were stealing glances like young lovers despite being married for nearly two years, smiling and flirting, and she watched him try to catch a bit of jam that was sliding down the corner of his mouth with his finger, and she felt her own want begin to creep up, too. 

She eventually leaned back in her chair and poured herself some more tea, watching him put the dishes in the sink. The TARDIS would take care of them, they both knew, but it felt peaceful and domestic and easy, and she sipped her drink, so very proud of him. 

He let her in, and he was okay. She could tell. 

Five years, three bonds, and three marriages later. Neither had secrets. 

He turned to her and pressed his back against the sink. “Come with me.” 

She set her cup down and laced their fingers together again as he led her down the hall. He scanned a door and pushed it open, and she saw the Eye of Discord resting on a shelf in a room that seemed to have extra security around it, likely for when they have guests, and she looked at him. 

“I’m not hiding it from you,” he said. “I appreciate that you offered, but I should never have said yes. We’ll take care of this like we do everything else. Together.” 

“Doctor,” she murmured, pulling him into a hug. He breathed in her sweet honey, still mingled with his scent every so subtly, and he kissed her forehead. 

“And I know how much you hate it when I apologize,” he continued, “But I’m sorry... For yelling. And...you, Rose...I…” he sighed, words failing him once again. He didn’t allow himself to get frustrated, not this time. He just said the only words he could. “Thank you.” 

“I’m your wife,” she said, smiling at him. He nodded and felt his throat tighten, that word still sending a chill down his spine. 

“You are,” he murmured. His groin began pulsing against her as he traced her eyes, then cheeks, then lips. She pressed her chin to his chest as she looked up at him. 

“And I love you more than anything. And I never ever, not even for a second, thought you were yelling at _me,_ Doctor. I understood. I truly did. I share a mind with you, remember?” she whispered. He stared at her, and she took a deep breath. “Once I knew what it was it all made sense. But I’ve got you, and if you can’t break down around me when you need to…” 

“What?” he asked, his hearts beating against his chest. 

“I mean it’s not like you’re going to tell Mickey or Jack,” she teased, and he felt a smile tug at his lips. “Point is, Doctor. Just...we take care of each other. It’s not a one way street, and sometimes I think you forget how much you mean to me. How much you help me, too. You comfort me and I comfort you. You save me and I save you. You love me and I love you. Marriage.” 

“Marriage,” he whispered. “Quite right.” 

He cupped her face in his hands and just looked at her, staring at her so tenderly it made her knees go weak. He chuckled when she fell against him, apparently having forgotten to breathe, and he hugged her. “Rose...” 

“Hm?” she said, looking at him, and he just kissed her. He pressed his tongue to her teeth until she let him in, circling and tasting each other, the faint notes of maple and strawberry jam left on their taste buds swirling together. 

A flash of a potential timeline hit them both, holding hands under a bright orange sky. 

He moaned into the kiss, their minds completely open, once again unaware of who saw it first, and she gasped, pulling him to her desperately, throwing his shirt on the ground. 

It escalated quickly, and he ripped her robe in his frenzy to get it off of her. 

“Sorry,” he said in a wet kiss, breathing heavily. She kissed him back, unable not to tease him. 

“That was my favorite,” she said, and he bit down on her shoulder, making her cry out. 

“I’ll buy you a new one,” he growled, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. 

He slammed the door to the room with the cube shut, not even looking at it as he returned to kissing her, leading her down the hallway, but he had her pressed against the wall before they made it ten steps. She was slick and he was throbbing, and she cried his name as he melted into her, grinding and panting, and his face was contorting in a way that was sending shockwaves through her entire body. 

“How long...ah...are you going to stay with me?” he asked, just as her head dropped onto his shoulder, and her fingernails dug into his skin. 

She said her answer in Gallifreyan, and he slammed his hand against the wall. 

“Rose…” he begged. “Rose, please...” 

The need in his voice unwound her completely, and he followed right along, both suddenly in need of another bath. 

They fell against the walls of the hallway and looked at each other, and both broke into laughter. They were leaning on opposite sides, but their legs were still tangled together and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. 

He found himself staring at her as his hearts tried to slow to their normal pace. Her eyes were still closed and her robe was half on her body, falling onto the floor and split right down the middle, and her hair had fallen out of its clip. He just shook his head at her, captivated. 

“Will you dance with me?” he whispered after a few minutes, and she smiled at him. 

“Think we just did,” she said, laughing. He just shook his head, smiling. 

“No. A date. A proper date, with, well…” he said, clearing his throat. She bit her lip. 

“We go on proper dates all the time,” she said, and he shook his head. 

“No,” he said. “I try all the time. But we typically go on what are supposed to be dates that turn into some sort of mystery we have to solve.” 

“Yes, but we do it brilliantly,” she said, quoting him from so very long ago. He just smiled and grabbed her hand. 

“I want to go on a date with my wife. Please?” he asked, not interested in banter at the moment. 

“Okay,” she said, smiling at him. He smiled back, more of a sappy lovestruck idiot than he ever thought he could be. He helped her up, making sure the feeling had come back in her legs before he kissed her, and they moved to get ready. 

~~~~

He was waiting in the console room in his blue suit with a maroon shirt and red chucks, playing with wires. He wasn’t nervous, but he just really wanted this to go well and not result in another bloody rescue mission or alien sighting, and he was rocking on his feet a bit. 

He stopped when he heard her footsteps and glanced up. 

“I wasn’t sure what kind of date you had in mind -” she began, and he stared at her with a dazed expression, his brain having shut off entirely. “Too much?” 

Her hair, which had been so tangled just an hour ago, was resting in loose curls and tucked half up, a bit of volume at the top that showed off her hoop earrings. Red lipstick greeted him like an old friend, and she was staring at him as he dropped his gaze down to her dress, which was a soft blue, a couple of shades lighter than his suit, with a low v-neckline and thin straps. It highlighted her frame completely, and she had worn some heels that were simple and white, and she ended up smiling at him when he didn’t say anything for a very long moment. 

Words. Use them. Now. Speak. 

“Wow,” he said, the room coming back to him. 

He had seen her in a dress before, many times. He had seen her without any clothes at all not that long ago, but he was high on love today and he just found himself entirely overwhelmed that this brilliant, brave, witty, perfect woman would choose him. 

He felt his throat tighten and she gave him a look, smiling a little as she tried to understand the emotions he was sending her in her mind, and she moved down to him, smoothing down the lapel of his coat. 

“Where are we going?” she asked, and he realized he wasn’t breathing. He shook his head a little as his senses came back to him and he gestured to the door, taking her hand. 

“Let’s find out,” he said softly. “Allons-y, Rose Tyler.” 

She opened the door to a dazzling set of lights twinkling in the sky. She was on a cobblestone road, and she looked around and realized no one else was here. There weren’t any cars, there were no people. There were buildings, though, so she knew life existed wherever they were, and the lights danced against her eyes as she took it all in. When she turned back to him, he was smiling. 

“This is a small, very small little village on the planet Lyrae,” he said, his hands in his pockets. She looked back up at the dazzling lights and took a deep breath, noticing it didn’t smell like anything particular, but it was still pleasant. 

“Where is everyone?” she asked. He moved to her and looked up at the lights with her, wrapping his arm around her waist. 

“They’re away,” he said. “Each year the villages on this planet gather at the main city for their Winter Solstice for a whole week. It’s just us.” 

It felt like a quaint, picturesque little town. She looked down at the cobblestone roads and felt his hand move from her waist up her back, turning her to face him. She smiled as he kissed her, slowly and softly, and the TARDIS began to play music, filtering into the night sky. 

“Neat trick, old girl,” Rose mumbled, and the Doctor smiled and brought their hands together as they started to sway, very gently against the lights, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” he whispered. They moved slowly, the music a simple ballad that trickled into the night sky, and he couldn’t think or care about anything else. The feel of her heartbeat was in his ring, and the TARDIS began to play the music a little louder as he turned her in a circle, and she bit her lip in a smile. 

The song switched to _Moonlight Serenade_ and she started laughing and raised her eyebrows at him. “Gonna get my arm up my back?” 

“No,” he said with a small eye roll. “Come here.” 

She giggled as he danced effortlessly, moving a little more daringly across the cobblestone road. She was keeping up and not tripping in her heels, and he dipped her lovingly, his mind flashing to that purple jacket in New New Earth as she lifted back up, her hair falling down her face. He caught his breath looking at her, and he just clenched his jaw before he kissed her so hard they would stop dancing. He wasn’t ready for that yet. She smiled, and he continued their dance, both enamoured and so very much in love, and she rubbed her lips together as her face rested back on his shoulder. 

“My Doctor,” she murmured, and he pressed his head against hers a little, spinning in the other direction. He stopped moving, and she looked up at him, her tongue in the corner of her mouth. 

“What’re you doing?” she asked playfully, but he was frozen. 

“Don’t turn around,” he said. His voice was low and restrained. Her smile fell, the music still filtering into the street, and he refused to let go of her. 

“What is it?” she whispered. 

“I need you to go inside and put the coordinates in for the Vortex immediately,” he murmured. 

“I’m not leaving you,” she said and he squeezed her hand. 

“I’ll be right in, we’ll just only have a fraction of a second to get out,” he said. “Once they know I can’t see them they’ll attack…” 

“What?” Rose asked. “Doctor...Why aren’t you blinking?” 

“Can’t,” he said. “Go. Now, Rose, please.” 

She swallowed and dropped their hands, walking to the TARDIS with her back to the direction he was looking, when something caught her eye from over his shoulder, another creature standing behind him, its eyes covered with its hands. 

“What are they?” she said, and he tensed when he realized she was trapped, too. 

“Weeping Angels,” he muttered, still not blinking. He was feeling quite angry, as everything had been going so well and this was the absolute last thing he wanted to deal with today, but his only goal at the moment was to remain calm and figure a way out as safely and quickly as they could. “Don’t blink, Rose. Don’t look away. And don’t look them in the eye.” 

“Okay,” she said. 

They stood there, and Rose’s eyes started to water.

“Come on, just... try to make it to the TARDIS carefully,” he said. “As long as these lights stay on and they know we see them they can’t move.” 

“What happens if they do?” she asked. 

“That’s up to them,” he murmured. 

They inched their way toward the TARDIS, both of their eyes watering by this point. The Old Girl’s doors were still open for the music, but just as they were about to slip inside Rose accidentally looked away to watch her step, completely habitual, and the one that was looking at her moved and blocked the door.

It’s face was uncovered, it’s mouth wide, snarling at her. 

“Get back!” the Doctor warned as he pulled her to him. They stood side by side, the two angels now facing them in new locations. One stood to the left of the TARDIS and one was directly in front of it, and the Doctor engaged his respiratory bypass as he watched. He could feel Rose’s nerves and he squeezed her waist as he stared at the statues. 

“We’re clever,” he said. “We’ll find a way out.” 

“I know,” Rose whispered. Their eyes were burning and Rose was deducting, her instincts awake. “But I can’t use my energy. I don’t know why.” He clenched his jaw and groaned. 

“They manipulate time and absorb potential energy, which your powers, well… _are._ The Vortex is full of it...” he realized, kicking himself for not thinking about that sooner. 

“So what, I’d be feeding them?” she whispered. He nodded and started muttering mostly to himself suddenly, rambling his thoughts out loud and she squeezed his hand. 

“Tell me what we’re dealing with, Doctor,” she said. 

He didn’t know how, so he sent her memories of every encounter he’d ever had with one of these statues. How they go from unassuming to treacherous, as old as the universe itself. How they can’t move so long as their victims can see them, how they take cover under a stone guise and how they are the deadliest, most powerful, most malevolent life-form evolution has ever produced. 

How they won’t hesitate to pull a stone from the water and create a paradox in one second. 

Suddenly, they both knew that things had the potential to get very bad very quickly. The Angels could send Rose back before she ever met the Doctor and prevent them from ever running in the first place, or send him to interrupt the fixed point that led them to forever, so that when he opens up the TARDIS doors on Bad Wolf Bay it’s not Rose he sees, but himself, and he’ll watch as she’s swallowed whole into the Void or beyond. 

Had this happened yesterday he would be spiraling by now. 

But he was still rather high on love and was determined, despite the stone statues that he knew were a very real threat, to be better than he was. And he had endless belief in the woman standing beside him, and her hand in his was giving him strength. The devil that was knocking on his shoulder, panic at the brim, was not getting let in. Not this time. Not again. 

All he knew now was they were about to fight like hell. 

“We take turns. There’s two of us,” he muttered under his breath. 

“Okay,” she said. 

“You first,” the Doctor said. She blinked as he kept his eyes locked on the statues, and they stayed put. He smiled. 

“I’ve got you,” she murmured, and he blinked. 

They communicated in their minds as they took in the situation, each blinking while the other kept their eyes open for a few minutes, and the Angels watched. 

“Do you trust me?” Rose whispered, nibbling on her lip. 

“Of course,” he said. 

“Run,” she whispered, and they took off. 

They were moving backwards to keep their eyes on the Angels. Rose took off her heels and let out a breath when the Angels stayed right where they left them, but she slipped on a stone and looked away for a split second. The Doctor looked away to catch her, and they both glanced up quickly, just in time to see the Angels were inching in, closer than they were before, and the Doctor ran faster. 

The wind started to pick up. 

“DON’T LOOK AWAY!” he shouted and he pulled her with him. They sprinted, still moving backwards, like lightning down the pathway. They were doing their best, but inevitably both blinked or looked where they were going at times and the Angels followed, getting closer and closer, faces angrier and angrier. Rose screamed and her Instincts took over, and before either knew what was happening she shoved them both into a building and hid. 

The Angels were in the window. 

His respiratory bypass was engaged but she was panting, and he soniced every window and door locked as she recovered. There was a dripping noise coming from behind them, and her eyes stayed on the Angels and he kissed her head, looking around the building that they were in, but he didn’t get too far before she pulled him back. 

“I think I twisted my ankle,” she said, wincing as her eyes stayed on the Angels. He looked at her, alarmed. 

“Can you walk?” he asked. She nodded, still wincing, and he stopped breathing for a moment, sniffing. “You can’t heal it here. They’ll pick up on the energy.” 

“Yeah, I know,” she said, swallowing hard and wincing again. He took over for her and let her scan herself, and she let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Sprained, actually,” she said. He clenched his jaw, trying to figure out how to keep her safe. He heard a ripping sound and almost turned to look at her, but he caught himself, his eyes still glued to the Angels. 

“What’re you doing?” he asked. 

“Makeshift splint,” she said. “Don’t know if it’ll do anything, but…” 

“Let me,” he said, and her eyes locked on the Angels as he turned to her and kneeled down. She had torn the bottom third of her dress off and he let out a breath as he grabbed it and began to wrap it carefully around her ankle, trying to apply some pressure. “I don’t think it’s going to do much, love.” 

“I know, better than nothing,” she sighed. The dripping noise was echoing around the room and she frowned. “We can’t just go on the TARDIS and leave. The villagers will be back eventually...They can’t come home to this.” 

“You can’t run. We can’t kill them,” he said. “Our only option is to get back to the TARDIS.” 

“There isn’t any way to stop them?” she asked, knowing there was an answer as they switched their eye line with the Angels without even thinking about it, working in perfect harmony. He took a deep breath. 

“All we can do is...trap them, I s’pose,” he murmured. “In their own quantum-lock.” 

“Like a reflection?” she said. He smiled at her despite the situation, realizing she understood the complexity of what he was suggesting. 

She wasn’t Time Lady, but...she basically was. 

“Or each other,” he murmured. “That might be better. If we can.” 

“Okay,” Rose said. A moment passed, and she just shook her head. “How did they get here?” 

“Who knows,” he said. “They just sort of...appear.” 

She didn’t say anything and she rubbed her hand on his arm, telling him to take a break while she stared at the window. He blinked a few times in a row and looked around some more, realizing they were in a church. 

It looked like an ancient cathedral, with stone walls and paintings of whatever Gods this planet believed in on the walls, he didn’t care at the moment, all colored with natural pigments he knew came from the stones in the mountainside around them. The dripping noise was from an exposed pipe, he realized, and there was a shrine at the front, but it was all falling apart, open and exposed at the back. He stiffened, worried that meant they could somehow get in and a coldness overtook the room. 

The wind was getting stronger. 

“Just brilliant,” he muttered, and he normally would have shared a knowing look with his wife, but he couldn’t. “Always some bloody, creepy, run down place...Heebie Jeebies, Rose Tyler, that’s what these things give me.” She smirked a little, knowing he was trying to make her feel better as she still watched the Angels and he sighed. “I’m…” 

“Shh,” said, knowing he was about to apologize again. “I’d follow you anywhere.” 

“We were having such a nice date,” he whined, squeezing her hand and taking over now. “Now you’re hurt.” 

“Yeah, but...I personally love the danger,” she said. “Makes every date memorable.” He just sighed. “They’re here. Nothing we can do about it except stop them and get out. And then...I dunno, maybe we can go to the villa, finish our date there. One without very many clothes preferably, seeing how all of mine are ripping today. I know for a fact midnight swims can be very refreshing.” 

He heard the seductiveness in her voice and he knew where her tongue was without looking at her. He bit his cheek, amazed by her, and all he wanted to do was kiss her and hold her and smile as their flesh touched. She was saying all the right things, and he shuddered when she moved and wrapped her arms around his waist, letting him turn and hug her as she kept her eyes on the Angels from over his shoulder. 

“Sometimes I think you have a one track mind, Rose Tyler,” he teased, and she bit her lip. 

“If I do, you’re the finish line,” she said, and his hearts skipped a beat. 

“I love you,” he said. 

“I love you too. Come on, let’s figure this out so we can look at each other again, yeah?” 

He squeezed her and felt the wheels in his brain turning. 

“We need to set a trap,” he said. 

“Make ‘em weep?” she chimed, and he sighed, shaking his head a little bit when it hit him that she was having _fun_ and he fell impossibly more in love with her. Here they were, facing off with what were quite possibly the most terrifying creatures in all of the cosmos, and she was...being Rose. 

Forever witty, even in the most severe of circumstances. 

Neither said anything, and he took over for her now, staring out the window, and she ran her hand over her earring, worried he thought she wasn’t taking it seriously. “I know what’s at stake.” 

“I know you do,” he said softly. “We can’t stay here all night.” 

“We can’t not blink all night either,” she murmured. She began to try and move around, limping slightly and causing his entire body to tense when he felt the pain through their minds, and she sent him a wave of love. “I’m okay.” 

“Just be careful, please,” he said flatly, and she smirked. She moved to the pipe, and her eyes followed the water down the wall, and she bit her lip. 

“There’s something under the church,” she said. “Come look, I’ll take over.”

They switched instantly, and the Doctor began to scan the walls, thankful they were stone. He began to pat the floor with his foot where the water was dropping and unlocked a latch, a tunnel to a lower level. A crypt. 

He and Rose flipped and she had a turn investigating, nibbling on her lip as she scanned and closed her eyes, her Instincts guiding her. “We should go down there.” 

“Okay,” he murmured. The Angels were watching, their faces still gruesome and alive. He took a deep breath. “They’ll find a way in, Rose. They always do. The moment we’re out of sight they will come. They’re fast.” 

“So are wolves,” she said, and he felt his stomach flip over. 

“You still can’t run,” he reminded her. 

“Yeah I can. It’ll hurt, but I can,” she whispered. He clenched his jaw. 

“Rose…” he began, but she moved to him and slipped their hands together, looking at the Angels. He closed his eyes. 

“Together,” she said. 

“Together,” he replied, gripping her hand. 

They turned and ran. 

Rose’s adrenaline kicked in and she barely felt her ankle, though they both knew it would come back with a vengeance later, and she just planned on healing it the moment they were in the TARDIS. There weren’t stairs down to the crypt, it was just a pit, but they jumped and rolled as they landed, a dull ache registering in both of their sides as he helped her up and they began to explore quickly, trying to find what Rose’s Instincts were picking up on. 

2.378 seconds had passed. 

The air was dense and Rose coughed, her hand still in the Doctor’s as they moved hurriedly through the crypt. There were lanterns all along the walls, illuminating their path after the Doctor turned them on, and Rose saw the ground was still cobblestone and the bottom half of each wall were stacked bones. Sitting above them were the graves, one lined up next to another, staring back at them. It truly smelled _terrible_ and she was starting to gag. 

He frowned. 

“You alright?” he whispered. She nodded and covered her nose, and they moved through a hall, the walls still stone, but the Doctor was using his sonic, and Rose turned around, her ears alert. 

5.966 seconds. 

He was deeply concerned as they ran through the pathways. They turned sharply and ran down a new path, but they found themselves back at the entrance, and they realized it was one large circular maze, complicated and tricky. 

She pulled him back, her Instincts alert just as the windows and doors above shattered from the wind. A full thunderstorm was brewing outside, and the Doctor clenched his jaw, thinking the universe was just mocking him by this point, as shards of glass dropped through the pit and landed at their feet. 

“They found their way in, go, go, go -” she said, and they ran. She led as he kept his face turned over his shoulder, just in case the Angels appeared, and they reached a dead end. She groaned, about to turn back the other way but he grabbed her, the Angels staring at them with their teeth snarling and hands above their head. 

Rose froze. 

49.091 seconds. 

It had been less than a minute since they jumped into this crypt and both of their hearts were pounding madly, officially trapped. They inched backwards until they touched the wall, and their eyes never left the Angels. 

“I love you,” he said. She looked up, knowing he was still staring at the statues, and bit her lip. 

“I love you, too,” she whispered. She closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

“We’ll figure out a way around them,” he said, and she felt her nerves begin to rise. She reached behind her and felt something on the wall. It was small and circular and rigid, and she stopped breathing as she ran her fingers over it while the Doctor still stared at the Angels, and she pushed it. 

The wall they were leaning against began to roll away and she turned to the Angels. The Doctor looked over his shoulder, smiling, and he began to jump excitedly. 

“Well done, Rose Tyler!” he shouted, and he grabbed her hand. They ran through a new path, the Doctor illuminating the lanterns again. The Angels had moved in the darkness that was temporarily there, and they took turns looking over their shoulders as they weaved through the cobblestone. 

1 minute, 12 seconds. 

She was watching the Angels now, realizing that this was all happening much faster than her brain could process, when the Doctor stopped moving. 

He kissed her. 

Her face was pulled to his as he cupped her cheeks and dipped his tongue to hers. It was passionate and arousing and full of relief, and she had no idea what was going on, all she knew was one moment she was making sure the Angels couldn’t follow and the next he was moaning in her mouth. She pulled away, looking at him in alarm, but he was grinning at her. 

“What are you -” she started to shout, but he just clicked his teeth and stared at her with a sense of urgency, and she looked to her left. 

A hall of mirrors stood before them, part of an ancient burying ritual from this planet he was now remembering, all shimmering and reflecting the crypt they had just run through. The Doctor knew exactly what he was doing and the Angels, who swooped in for an attack the moment the Doctor pulled Rose into the kiss, were stuck staring at their reflections, just as Rose’s Instincts had suggested. 

Stone. 

His perfect, impossible human. 

She let out a sob, more emotional than she realized and he pulled her to him and let out a long breath. She closed her eyes, not in a hurry to open them after the amount of staring they had just done, and she breathed in his Christmas scent, letting it fill her lungs completely. 

He kissed her again, warm and needy, the weight of what he could have lost crashing down on both of them, but it was short lived. They mostly felt such a strong sense of relief, and it was utterly intoxicating. She sent him a wave of love and he pressed his forehead to hers. 

“Are you alright?” he asked her, and she just nodded. 

“Are you?” she said. 

“Yeah,” he said, smiling at her. He hugged her again, and she slipped his hand into his, letting out a long breath. 

She sniffed, realizing she had apparently been crying, when suddenly her ankle felt like it was on fire. She let out a new kind of sob and collapsed, all the running catching up with her and he tore the fabric off of her skin and tossed it to the side, holding her hand in comfort as she immediately healed herself. 

It burned a little more than usual, and she clenched her jaw like he does, a very _very_ rare occurrence. 

She let out a shaky breath when it dissipated and looked back at the Angels, still frozen forever. He looked over with her, and she leaned back against the wall. 

“The universe really wants to test the whole, ‘never ever will’ theory of ours, huh?” she said. He glanced up at her, and he knew she meant it as a semi-joke, and chose to smile. 

He really, really, really, did not want to cry tonight. This was a win. 

“Yeah,” he mumbled. He reached up and cupped her face, wiping away some dirt that had smudged on her cheek and she kissed his palm. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” she whispered. He hugged her again, and his heartbeat resounded in her ring and against her chest, and he kissed her head. “I want to go home, Doctor.” 

“Me too,” he murmured, and they slowly made their way out of the crypt, holding hands, walking through the church and back outside, where the storm had dwindled to a sprinkle. She smiled, realizing maybe she was wrong and the universe had been looking out for them when it broke those windows. He squeezed her hand. 

“You think so?” he asked, and she just leaned her head on his shoulder. 

“Stranger things have happened,” she said, and he smiled. 

The air wasn’t nearly as heavy as the night before, but it wasn’t as boisterous as it was when they were dancing either, and she was feeling rather tired. They reached the TARDIS eventually, her doors now closed and the music no longer playing and she sighed, reaching for her key, when she realized she had left it on her bedside table. He kissed her cheek and dangled his key with a goofy grin, and she snapped her fingers playfully as if applauding him, too tired to clap, when the doors suddenly opened. 

He stared at them, and then turned back to her. 

“What?!” he exclaimed, and she just shook her head. 

“I...I don’t know,” she said. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was hanging open, and he closed it as he shut the doors again and locked them. He stood back and snapped his fingers, and the doors opened. 

“WHAT?!” he shouted, and she bit her lip, finding him rather cute and just linked their hands together. 

“Come on,” she said, pulling him onto the ship. He was staring at the entrance, sliding up the ramp behind Rose, utterly confused and she burst into laughter at the look on his face. 

“It’s not funny! 600 years I’ve had this ship, I had _no idea_ I could do that,” he said, his hands on the railing. She was at the controls, watching him adoringly as she pressed the coordinates for the villa and pulled the lever. 

“What’s the fun in knowing everything?” she asked with a gleam in her eye, and he stared at her. 

“Indeed,” he said, rubbing his lips together and running his hands through his hair. He moved to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, his chin moving to rest on her shoulder as he kissed her neck, and her hand wrapped itself around the back of his head, her entire body leaning into his. “I’m sorry about your robe, truly. And your dress. I liked this dress.” 

“Yeah?” she said, and he nodded. 

“Mhm. Have a thing for blue,” he murmured, biting her ear and eliciting that moan she always makes. He smiled. 

“Me too,” she whispered, turning to touch his suit. They felt the gentle spin of time halt, and he winked at her as took her hand in his, and they walked out of the TARDIS. They heard the crash of the ocean and the sway of the tropical trees as they moved up the sandy path toward the villa. It was night, with the Turtle Star looking over them as they approached the blue doors and he soniced it open, letting her go in first. 

She flipped on the lights and collapsed onto the sofa, neither speaking yet. She smiled at him and he took his suit coat off and laid it over a table in the entry hall, moving to sit beside her. It was a calm serenity unlike any other, a sensation that always wrapped itself around her here, and she laid down with her head in his lap. 

“Want some tea?” he asked after many minutes. She sat up and nodded at him, and he moved to the kitchen as she moved to the bedroom and changed clothes, walking back out just as he was setting teacups down in pajama shorts and a tank top. 

“No rubber ducks?” he asked with a smile, and she shook her head. 

“On the TARDIS,” she yawned, and he pulled her to him, wrapping his arm around her. She rested her arm on the back of the couch as she turned to look at him and started to count every freckle on his face. He turned his head to look at her too, smiling when hazel galaxies swam in chocolate. 

“Hey, handsome,” she said. He made a sound and lifted his head up straighter. 

“That’s new,” he said, smiling like an idiot at her. She laughed. 

“Well...normally I get to look at you when we save the universe. Couldn’t do that tonight. I missed your face,” she said with her tongue in the corner of her mouth, and he clicked his tongue against his teeth. 

“Get over here,” he said softly, and she smiled as he kissed her, pulled her closer to him and their arms wrapped around each other. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too,” she murmured, and she ran her finger along his wedding ring. “I’m sorry about the date. I know you were -” 

“It’s okay,” he said, and he pressed his lips to her forehead. “Something occurred to me on the walk here…” 

“Yeah?” she said. He nodded. 

“It’s, well, I s’pose you could say, it was kind of romantic, what happened tonight,” he began. She gave him a look like he was insane and he just kissed her head again. “We saved our forever today. That’s not such a bad date, in the end.” 

“Such a sap,” she teased, and he chuckled as her head rested on his shoulder. 

“Quite,” he said. 

Neither said anything, they knew it all already, 

Marriage. 

They leaned against each other, and he was surprised when he found himself drifting off a little, but she mumbled something in her own state of half consciousness that shook him awake. 

“What did you just say?” he asked. 

“First steps,” she mumbled, “Where?” He stared at her, and she opened her eyes and rested her chin on his shoulder. He found himself unable to speak and she kissed his hand, and when he finally did remember how words worked, his voice sounded far away and not his own. 

“Rose…” 

“Kitchen wouldn’t work, too many corners they could bump into,” she said quietly, looking at the counters. 

“I can redo the entire layout,” he said, entirely serious, and she smiled at him. 

“Here?” she said, pointing to the rug under the telly. His hearts were beating much too quickly for him to hope to reign them in, and he closed his eyes. 

He saw a blonde head in a TARDIS blue onesie, trying to cross the floor between them. It was a tangible vision, and he realized quickly it wasn’t a dream or a thought, but a flash of a potential timeline and he clenched his jaw. It was fleeting and instantaneous, but she had seen it too, their minds open, and she was staring at him when he finally found the courage to look at her. 

“Yeah,” he said, his eyes meeting hers. Unspoken words lingered in the air again, and he ran his thumb over the back of her hand.

His impossible human. 

“Doctor,” she whispered, suddenly moving to straddle him. Her hands were on the back of his head, his lips being suckled and lapped at with her tongue as she tangled her fingers in his hair, and he found himself glued to the couch, caught under her spell as she poured everything she could into the kiss. 

There’s something to be said about surviving. 

He made a sound and pulled her shirt over her head, running his hands across her back, and she gasped, cursing in Gallifreyan and making him do the same, and she kissed him again, urgent and tantalizing all at the same time. 

“You still want that midnight swim?” she whispered huskily as she kissed his jaw, and he closed his eyes and nodded. 

“Please,” he moaned. 

They moved to the pool, not bothering to put on any swimwear as the moonlight trickled over them, and he noticed the telescope was still out on the lawn. He found himself staring at it, a mirage of emotions coming back to him, remembering all that took place here last year as she sank into the water in her bra and knickers, her hair now up in a messy bun and her earrings reflecting the lights, and he turned his attention to her. 

His wife. His best friend. His perfect, pink, yellow and gold human. 

Her body glided across the water and he just shook his head, unable to process how any of this was possible once again. He felt _gratitude_ , a ferocious amount of it, as he saw her turn back to him, and the last five years of his life flooded in his mind at once, ending with that vision on the couch. He wasn’t dwelling, but the fact that they protected all they have tonight was making him emotional and filling him with more hope than he knew what to do with. 

“You coming in?” she asked. He nodded. 

“Yeah,” he said, and she smiled at him, her widest, purest smile, the smile that first made his hearts stop all those years ago and he clenched his jaw to stop from crying. She swam over to the edge, and leaned her head on her arms as she looked at him. 

“I know,” she said, and he just let out a small laugh, aware she heard every thought, as he sat down next to her and took her hand. 

“Loving you, Rose...It’s the best thing that I’ll ever do,” he murmured. She felt her stomach fill with butterflies and she traced her tongue on her lips, also fighting the urge to cry. A tear spilled over and he wiped it away, dipping his body into the pool so he could hold her. 

The stars danced above their heads like they did on the cobblestone as they looked at each other. She kissed him again, tasting a bit of sea salt from the pool, and he melted into her, wrapping his entire body around her. Their hearts beats synced up as much as they could and their minds swirled in feelings and memories, leaving them both speechless. She felt him tug at the hooks on her bra and snapped them open, letting it float in the water. 

He pulled away and smiled at her, she watched him as he swam for a moment, shaking his head when he came up for air, and she realized all she had to do was remove her knickers and they would both be skinny dipping. 

She did just that. 

He made a humming sound and she began to swim, too. They bantered in their heads entirely in Gallifreyan, and she made him laugh so hard he choked a little on water, and then spit it out quickly and made a face when he realized how salty it was, and she just moved to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

“Poor thing,” she teased, and he kissed her, sharing his salt with her and she squealed. 

“HA!” he shouted, and she splashed him. 

And suddenly, they went from nearly losing each other and running for their lives, to thinking about kids, to being blinded by passion, to two idiots playing Marco Polo in the pool. 

He held her close that night, both a little too tired to engage in passionate love making again even though they both wanted to, and he smiled, the juxtaposition of how he felt the night before and now truly one for the books. But she gave him all the strength he would ever need, and when he fell asleep, her face, the first face this face saw, was the last thing he pictured.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you all liked it! Thank you to everyone who had read, reviewed, left kudos or subscribed! These two bring me lots of joy, and I hope that you are liking all their crazy adventures. I am very excited for what's ahead.


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